Automatic control for pumps



March 15, 1932. T, WATRY 1,849,602

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR UMPS Filed Dec. 22, 1928 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS T. WATRY, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-ELLE IO DANIEL FISHER, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN AUTOMATIC CONTROL Eon. PUMPS Application filed December 22, 1928. Serial No. 827,882.

This invention relates tocertain new and useful improvements in automatic controls for pumps and refers moreparticularly to controls for individual water supply systems of the hydro-pneumatic type.

Heretofore water supply systems of this type have not been equipped with automatic means for regulating the amount of air to be retained in its associated storage tank, it

having been customary to equip the device with manual means for connecting and disconnecting the air pump with its drive. The fallacy of this construction will be readily apparent and this invention has for one of its objects the provision of a control for automatically regulating the amount of air in the storage tank.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of means for automatically relieving any excess of air in any storage tank containing liquid and air.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a float controlled valve for venting any excess air within a storage tank containing air and liquid.

And a stillfurther object of this invention resides in the provision of a float controlled valve for relieving any excess air within a storage tank whereby the proportion of air and liquid therein is'maintain'ed substantially constant.

With the above andother objectsin view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hydropneumatic water supply system with which myimproved control is adapted to be used, a part of the storage tank being broken away to illustrate the position of the float within the tank;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of my improved automatic control removed from the tank, parts thereof being broken away and in section, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through Figure 2 on the plane of the line 3-3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5 designates a pump operating mechanism housing having a prime mover 6, such as a motor, mounted thereon and drivingly connected with a driven shaft? by a belt 8 trained about a pulley 9 on said shaft anda pulley fixed to the motor shaft. The shaft 7- is passed into the interior of the housing 5 and is drivingly connected, in any suitable manner not shown, with an arm 10 to impart a reciprocating movement thereto, the arm actuating pump plungers 11' and 12 of water and air pumps 11 and 12, respectively. The air and water is pumped into a storage tank 13 throu'gh a pipe 14 having a check valve 15 therein.

The starting and stopping of the prime mover 6 is efiected by a pressurecontrolled device, indicated at 16, adapted to render the prime mover inoperative at a predetermined and maximum high-pressure andto start the prime mover at a predetermined minimum low pressure. The range of pressure at which the device 16 operates is adjustable by means (not shown) contained within the device, and

' for ordinary purposes is usually between thirty and fifty pounds per square inch.

From this itwill be seen that while means are provided for regulating the operation of the prime moverto maintain the pressure within certain predetermined limits, there is no automatic means for maintaining the proportion of air and water in the tank substantially constant except the heretofore objectionable manual act of connecting and disconnecting the arm 10 from the plunger of 1 the air pump.

The improved control illustrated eliminates manual manipulation and, therefore, the heretofore removable connection between the arm 10 and the air pump plunger may be replaced by a permanent member 17. a

The control unit proper is inserted into the storage tank through a threaded opening 18 in the top thereof and consists of a member 19 having an end portion threaded 1n the opening 18 and from which a pipe or gulde tube 20 extends into the tank. The tube 20 is suitably connected with a reduced portion 21 on the lower end of the member 19, as at 22. The member 19 has a bore 23 therein which is reduced to provide a valve seat 24 and has a relief valve 25 connected therewith, as at 26..

Engageable with the valve' seat 24 is a needle valve 27 which is moved to its .seated position by a float 28, connected therewith by a valve stem 29. Rising and lowering of the float with the water level automatically closes and opens the valve, the latter movement connecting the interior of the storage tank with the relief valve through an aperture 30 in the tube 20 adjacent its upper end. Movement of the float to its inactive position is limited bya stop 31 consisting of a strap 32 secured about the lower portion of the guide tube 20 and having its ends spaced apart and secured in position by a screw or other suitable means 33, the float being connected with the stop 31 by a member 34 having its lower end directed laterally and formed with a loop 35 which is impinged between the float 28 and a nut 36 threaded on the rod 29. The upper end of the member 34 is passed between the ends of the strap 32 between the tube and the screw 33 and then bent back on itself t form a guide-way for the screw. i

The relief valve 25 has a valve seat 37 with which a valve member 38, adapted to be yieldably urged to its seating or closing position by a spring 39, is engageable to close the interior of the tank from communication with the atmosphere, the tension on the spring'being adjustable to regulate the pressure at which its valve opens at a pressure less than that at which the device 16 is actuated to stop the prime mover, so that all excess air passes from the tank durin the operation of the motor, and until suflicient water has been pumped into the tank to raise the level thereof to where the float 28 closes the valve 27. The pressure within the tank then quickly rises to the degree necessary to cause the device 16 to render the prime mover inoperative. As the water level in the tank lowers to apoint where the buoyancy of the float becomes negative or is less than that re uired to hold the valve 27 in engagement wit its seat 24, communication is established between the storage tank and relief valve-25 through the guide tube aperture 30. Should the pressure in the tank be-more than that at which the relief valve is adjusted, the valve will be lifted from its seat and the excess of air pressure discharged through the relief valve until the desired mmlmum pressure is reached; or until the water rises to a level where the float through its associated valve disrupts communication between the tank and the relief valve. With the parts as described, the prime mover is inoperation, pumpingair and water into the tank until the rising water level raises the float to close its associated valve and air pressure therein reaches the desired predetermined maximum, at which time the device 16 comes into play to render the prime mover inoperative.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an lIlVEBIItlOII of this character appertains that I have provided an automatic control for a hydro-pneumatic water supply system which will at all times maintain the proportion of air and water in a storage tank substantially constant and one in which the proportion of water and air or, in other words, the water level may be adjusted by lengthening or shortening the guide tube extending into the tank.

What I claim as my invention is:

' 1. The combination with a storage tank adapted to be su plied with air and water under pressure, 0 means for maintaining the proportion of air and water substantially constant and including a relief valve, ada ted to vent air in excess of a predetermine pressure, means for connecting the relief valve with the interior of the storage tank above the water line, and a float for controlling the last-named means.

2. In a water system including a storage tank and means supplying the tank with air and water, means for venting any excess air within the tank and including a member having a valve seat, a relief valve, a guide tube extending downwardly from the member and having an aperture adjacent its upper end adapted to communicate the interior of the tank above the water line with the relief valve, a second'valve for engagement with the valve seat for disconnecting the interior of the tank from the relief valve, and a float for actuating the second valve.

3. In a. water system including a storage tank, and means for supplying air and water to the tank under pressure, means for maintaining the proportion of air and water within the'tank substantially constant and including a member adapted to communicate with the tank interior above the water line and having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, a valve seat in said member, a relief valve carried by said member, a guide tube extended downwardly from said member and having an aperture therein adjacent its upper end for communicating the interioriof the tank with the relief valve erably connected with the second valve to actuate the same.

4;. In a water system including a storage tank adapted to hold air and Water under pressure, means for ventingexcess air within the tank including a relief valve adapted to open at a predetermined pressure, a second valve adapted to close oil communicating between the relief valve and the tank interior above the water line, and'a float for" in the tank exceeds a predetermined degree, a valve seat formed in the member inwardly of the relief valve, a second valve engageable with the valve seat to close the bore through "the member and thus disconnect the relief valve from the interior of the tank, and a float connected with said second valve to control its operation, whereby said second valve closes when the water in the tank reaches a predetermined level.

6. A device for venting an excess of air pressure from a tank adapted to hold air and water under pressure, comprising a member securable in an aperture in one wall of the tank, said member having a bore to commu- 'nicate the interior of the tank above the water line with the atmosphere, a relief valve carried by the outer portion of said member -to normally close the communication between the interior of the tank and the atmosphere and adapted to open when the pressure within the tank exceeds a predetermined degree, a valve seat formed in the member inwardly of the relief valve, a second valve engageable with the valve seat to close the bore through the member' and thus disconnect the relief valve from the interior of the tank, guide means extended inwardly from said memher, a valve stem extended from said second valve, and guided in said guide means, and a float connected with the valve stem for controlling the second valve, whereby said second valve closes when the water in the tank reaches a predetermined level.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix-my signature.

LOUIS T.. WATRY. 

